Manufacture of coal briquets.



HENRY JOSHUA PHIL IPs, or Lo noN; 'AND ARTHUR PHILLIPS, or ,TREDEGAR, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO PURE COAL BRIQUETTES LIMITED, or CARDIFF, WALES. Y

MANUFACTURE OF COAT; BRIQUETS;

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application filed January 31, 1914. Serial No. 815,688

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that we, HENRY JOSHUA PHILLIPS and ARTHUR PHILLIPS, SUb]BCtS of the King of England, residing in London,

England, and Tre'degar, countyof Monmouth, England, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Coal Briquets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and im-.

proved method of manufacturing coal briquets, whereby we are enabled to cheaply produce non-porous and Weather-proof briquets from'small coal, without'the use of a binding agent.

The process may be carried out by any well known apparatus in the following man- Her: (a) grinding the coal with water to a pulp; (b) feeding this pulp directly and without allowing the pulp to settle and stratify to a moldand compressing it therein-to eliminate a largeproportion of the Water and consolidate the pulp into briquet form; (a) passing the partially-formed briquets through a tunnel wherein the ternperature gradually increases from a temper ature at the entrance substantially below the boiling point of water to a temperature at the exit approximating to but below the decomposing point of the coal used for the briquets,and then ((1) subj ecting the briquets thus dried and incipiently softened to a hot and relatively high compression to complete the consolidation thereof.

The temperatures and pressures at which it is preferred to work are indicated particuthroughout the drawings.

In carrying out the invention the small coal to be converted into briquets is first ground in hot or cold water to a pulp in any suitable pug, tube or other mill to any suitable degree of fineness. 100 parts by weight of coal to 45-60 parts by weight of water will be found to be a suitable proportion. The aqueous pulp produced is then fed di- .rectly, i. 6. without being left to settle, into a'mold wherein it is compressed to eliminate a large proportion of the water and consolidate it into briquet form.v Three to five tons .per square inch will be found to be a convenient pressure, and this will produce cohesive but damp. briquets.

In order to obviate the necessity for allowing the pulp to settle and a certain proportion of the water to drain away, which operation is rather lengthy, and gives rise moreover to Stratification, so that'possibly the briquets might be produced with varying proportions of the different grades or meshes of coal (should such be present), the

pulp is preferably fed to the mold and plungers shown in the drawings. The'construction shown is specially adapted for permitting the water contained in the pulp to drain away readily when pressure is applied to the pulp by means of the plungers.

The mold shown in the drawings comprises an outer casing A of rectangular section. This casing is lined on the interior witha series of vertical bars which are secured to .he casing by bolts passed through .fiangesB on the bars and flanges A on the casing. The flanges A on the casing have grooves sunk therein to receive the flanges B so that the end surfaces of the mold may be unbroken. The adjacent sidefaces of the bars, 2'. e. the faces B B converge and meet at the edges B situated at the interior of the mold. Thus at the interior of the mold-the bars form practically continuous surfaces, but at the back of each of these surfaces there runs a series of vertical throughways of V-section which can convey away any water forced out of the pulp and between the bars. At the corners of the easing A filling bars B are provided to'opthe bars are secured to the plungers by screws (P and D The adjacent side faces of the bars C and D converge in a similar manner to the faces and B of the bars B, and meet at the edges C and D which are situated at the interior of the mold. It

is thus provided that water pressed out of the pulp may readily drain away from the faces of the plunger-s through the flutes and throughways provided.

Conveniently the bars B, B, C and D are ,of some non-rusting metal, such as phosphor-bronze. i

The construction of the above described mold and plungers is claimed in copendmg application, Serial No. 8:30AM, filed July 11, 191 12 The damp blocks or briquets made in the mold above described are placed on trolleys or endless belts or the like and carried by themthrough a differentially-heated tunnel, wherein .thetemperature gradually increases from the entrance to the exit.

The temperature at the entrance of the tunnel should be substantially below the boiling point of water. 80 C. is a suitable temperature. With this temperature at the entrance anywater present in the brique-ts will be gradually (not suddenly) converted mg point of the coal used for thebriquets.

- With certain kinds of anthracite coal the 40 temperature may be as much as 500 C. but with bituminous coal the temperature must not exceed say 300 C. It must be borne in mind that the heating in the tunnel of the briquets after they have 45' been dried, is only to be carried so far as to cause an incipient softening of the coal; the decomposing point of the coal is not to he reached. For an ordinary sample of semibituminous coal 250 C. will be found to be-a suitable temperature for the exit of the tunnel, and therefore for the maximum temperature to which the coal is heated.

The dried and incipiently softened briquets issuing'from the tunnel are placed in a second mold and.'=subjected to a hot and relatively high compression to complete the consolidation of the briquets. The molds are of similar shape to those shown in the drawings but may be plain, 2'. e. not provided with the drainagearrangements shown in the drawings. The molds for the second compression, should be of fractionally larger dimensions than the molds used for the first compression as the briquets will be found to have swelled slightly owing to the heating. The mold for the second-compression may be kept hot by sup er-heated steam in any convenient manner. The pressure is preferably applied simultaneously at both ends of the mold and the degree of pressure varies according to the class of coal used; 5l5 tons per square inch will be found to be a suitable range of pressures.

It will be appreciated that different classes of small coals require different degrees of pressure and temperature for their manufacture into briquets. ,The degrees of temperature and pressure will be readily found by experiment, but it will be found that the particulars given herein cover all average cases.

It will'be seen that according to the present invention coal briquets are manufactured v'itl oiit the addition of a binding agent. If

a binding agent can be found which will stand both the effects of the temperature to which the coal is subjected according to the process above described and the effects of wet 'afterithe briquets are finished, then it may bethought advisable in some cases to include a percentage of this binding agent with the coal. The addition of a binding agent is not essential however, as by following the instructions given excellent purecoal briquets can be manufactured.

The invention is not limited to the empl oyment of the precise construction of mold and plun'gers hereinbefore described. These will give good results but any other construction may be substituted if found desirable.

lVh'at We claim as our invention and de--- sire' to secure by Letters Patent is l. The method of making coal briquets which comprises grinding coal to apulp in the presence of water, then feedingthe pulp vto a mold without allowing the pulp to settle and stratify, then compressing the pulp in the mold to eliminate a large proportion of water and compress the pulp into briquet form, then passing the partially-formed briquet into a heating chamber and gradually increasing the temperature therein from a temperature below the boiling point of water to a temperature slightly below the temperature at which the coal will decompose, and then-subjecting the dried and in- 60 parts of water by weight, then feeding the pulp to a mold, then compressing the pulp in themold to eliminate a large proportion of the water and consolidate'the pulp into briquet form, then passing the partially formed briquet through a heating chamber and during its passage there'- weight of coal in the presence of 45 to 60- by Weight, then feeding the parts of water pulp to a mold without allowing e pulp to settle and stratify, then compressing the pulp in a mold to eliminate a large proportion of water and compressing the pulp into briquet form,' then passing the partiallyformed briquet through a heating chamber and during its passage therethrough heating said briquet to a temperature slightly be-' low the temperature at which the coal will decompose, and then subjectingvthe briquets thus dried and incipiently softened to a hot andrelatively high compression to complete the consolidation thereof.

4. The method of making coal briquets which comprises grinding coal to a pulp in the presence of water, then feeding the pulp to a mold, then compressing the pulp in the mold to eliminate a large proportion of the water and compressing the pulp into briquet form, then passing the partially-formed briquet through a heating chamber and during its passage therethrough briquet to a temperature of 200 centigrade to 500 centigrade, and then subjecting the briquet thus dried and incipiently softened to a hot and relatively high compression to' complete the consolidation thereof.

The method of making coal briquets which comprises grinding 100 parts by weight *of'coal in the presence of 45 to 60 parts by weight of water, then feeding the pulp to a moldpthen compressing the pulp in the mold to eliminate a large proportion of water and compressing the pulp into briquet form, then passing the partiallyformed briquet through a heating chamber,

and during its passage therethrou gh heating said briquet to a temperature of 200 centigrade to 500 centigrade, and then subjecting the briquet thus dried and incipiently softened to a hot and relatively high compression to complete the consolidation thereof.

6. The method of making. coal briquets which comprises grinding 100 parts by weight of coal in the presence of 45 to 60 parts by weight of water, then feeding the pulp to a mold and subjecting it to 'a pressure of 3 to 5 tons per square inch within the mold to eliminate a large proportion of the water and compress the pulp into briguet form, then passing the partially-- heating saidin from a temperature below the boiling point of water toa temperature slightly below the temperature at which the coal Will decompose; and then subjecting the dried through a heating chamber and during its passage therethrough heating said briquet to a temperature of 200 centigrade to 500 centigrade, and then subjecting the briquet thus dried and incipiently softened to a pressure of 5 to 15 tons per square inch in a mold heated by superheated steam to complete tht' consolidation ofthe briquet.

8. The method of making coal briquets which comprises grinding about 100 parts by weight of coal in the presence of 45 to 60 parts by weight of water, then feeding the pulp to a mold and subjecting it therein to a pressure of 3 to 5 tons per'square inch to eliminate a large proportion of the water and compress the pulp into briquet form, then passing the partially-formed briquet intoa heating chamber and gradually increasing the temperature thereof from 80 centigrade to 250 centigrade to 500 centigrade, and then subjecting the briquet thus dried and incipiently softened to a pressure of 5 to 15 tons per square inch in a mold heated by superheated steam to complete theconsolidation of the briquet.

9. The method of" making coal briquets which comprises grinding in the proportion of 100 parts of coal by weight in the presence of 45 to 60 parts by weight of water, then feeding the pulp directly to a mold having two oppositely acting plungers and subjecting it therein to a pressure of 3 to 5 tons per square inch to eliminate a large proportion of the Water and compress the pulp into briquet form, then passing the partially-formed briquet through a heating chamber wherein the temperature gradually increases from- 80 centigrade at the entrance to at the eXit according to the quality of the coal' used for the briquets, then subjecting the briquets thus dried and incipiently-softened to a-pressure of 5 to 15 tons per square inch in the -mold heated by superheated steam and in which the briquet is acted upon by plungers moving in opposite directions to consolidate the briquet. i

10'. The method of making coal briquets 250 centigrade to 500 centigrade Which'comprises grinding in the proportion of 100 parts of coal by eight in the preschamber wherein the temperature gradually increases from 80 centigra'de at the entrance to 250 centigrade to 500 centigrade' at the exit according to the quality of the coal used for the briquet, then subjecting the briquet thus dried and incipiently softened to a pressure of 5 to 15 tons per square inch in a mold heated by superheated steam and in which the briquet is acted upon by 20 plungers moving in opposite dlrectlons to consolidate the briquet.

In testimony whereof We have signed 0ur names to this speclfication 1n the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HENRY JOSHUA PHILLIPS. ARTHUR PHILLIPS. Witnesses NORMAN M. INGLEDINE, GODFREY IV. J ONES. 

